Offshore and off-base

Monday

Oct 17, 2005 at 3:35 AMOct 17, 2005 at 4:01 AM

Perhaps it's the memory of the 1969 oil rig blowout off the Santa Barbara coast, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing back -- gently so far -- against a proposal by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, that would end the nation's quarter-century moratorium on offshore drilling.

Perhaps it's the memory of the 1969 oil rig blowout off the Santa Barbara coast, but Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is pushing back -- gently so far -- against a proposal by Rep. Richard Pombo, R-Tracy, that would end the nation's quarter-century moratorium on offshore drilling.

Pombo's plan would shift the authority to block development in coastal waters from Congress to state legislators and governors.

Further, Pombo, chairman of the House Resources Committee -- gatekeeper of the nation's environmental laws -- has offered states a 50 percent share of royalties on gas and oil leases, which usually go to the federal government.

Schwarzenegger says thanks but no thanks. In California, water and oil don't mix.

Through the governor's Ocean Protection Council, Pombo was sent a letter saying the group "respectfully requests that future congressional legislation exclude any language that threatens this moratorium that has been protecting out shores more than two decades."

Pombo aides say the changes proposed actually would give state officials more control -- not less -- and end the uncertainty of yearly congressional action to renew the moratorium.

What's more, they contend, allowing state officials to decide whether they want drilling within 125 miles of their coasts makes it possible to increase and diversify oil and gas production nationwide.

Really?

First, the moratorium has been anything but uncertain. It's maintained steady bipartisan support from the start.

Second, Pombo's proposal would do little -- if anything -- to spread drilling operations around the nation's coasts.

What chance is there that any California governor -- no matter what the political affiliation -- or any California legislator would allow drilling off our coast?

How about Washington or Oregon? Not a chance, even if gasoline reaches $5 a gallon.

So, where is this geographic diversification going to occur? Off the coast of Florida, it would seem.

Virginia politicians also have expressed interest in going after some natural gas off their coast.

The point is, Pombo's proposal is unlikely to spread exploration around, something this area's congressman feels is important because of the repeated hurricane damage Gulf Coast drilling platforms have suffered.

Pombo's plan likely would do little but concentrate even more oil rigs in the path of hurricanes.